Connecticut Dem Gov Candidate Dan Drew Caught Soliciting City Employees For Campaign Donations

Just months after entering Connecticut’s gubernatorial race, Democrat Dan Drew is already caught in a scandal that threatens to derail the Middletown mayor’s candidacy. A new report by his hometown paper, the Middletown Press, reveals that Drew sent solicitation letters to the homes of all of his city’s employees, asking for a $100 campaign contribution. This solicitation raises concerns about how he obtained such address information for these employees, including police officers, the confidentiality of whose addresses is protected by law. With Drew now facing accusations of “intimidation” for his unethical, and possibly unlawful, attempt to shake down city employees for campaign cash, Middletown officials have already started looking into the legality of his actions, creating serious challenges for his already struggling campaign.

The Middletown Press reports:

“Mayor Dan Drew sent a letter last week to every city employee, including police officers, asking for contributions, preferably $100, for his campaign for the Democratic nomination for governor.

Drew’s action, contained in a Sept. 13 letter, has set off a firestorm of controversy even as it raises questions about the legality of his actions. The letters were sent to employees at their home addresses, raising serious questions among a number of city councilors about how the mayor obtained the home addresses of police officers which, by law, are supposed to be confidential.

In the letter, Drew, who is serving his third term as mayor, begins by saying being mayor ‘has been one of the greatest honors of my life.’

He continues: ‘Working alongside dedicated professionals has been a constant reminder of how strong our community is, how good our people are, and how much we can achieve by working together towards big goals.

‘I want to do for Connecticut what we’ve accomplished together for Middletown. That’s what I decided to run for governor and why I would be so honored if you would make a $100 contribution to my campaign. I know that, with your support — and a lot of hard work — we can do for our state what we’ve done for our community.’…

‘Even if it’s not a violation of the ethics ordinance, it’s inappropriate,’ [city counsel leader Thomas] Serra said Wednesday morning. ‘It was not a good decision to make.’…

‘It’s very concerning that police officers received these letters at their homes,’ [councilwoman Deb Kleckowski] said. ‘Who gave that campaign those addresses?’’”